Red Angel Reiasu 3: Your Winds Shall Come
by Mercury Amazon
Summary: Agile recalls his painful past. (Rewritten)


RED ANGEL REIASU   
Episode 3: Your Winds Shall Come   
Mercury Amazon 

_The first word was "dream"_   
_From the middle of sleep_   
_Which secretly accompanies_   
_The darkness in my heart_   
_The second word was "wind"_   
_Directing my journey_   
_From God's arms,_   
_ Fanning wings_   
_As if counting_   
_the melting sorrows,_   
_Yet another golden_   
_ apple fell_   
_Not even looking at the scenery,_   
_There is the place you're going_   
_With merely a single life,_   
_You struggle to reach that place_

Agile had much to think about. 

Miaka was quite the unique case, he'd come to realize. For one, she treated him like he was worth consideration. At first, he'd found it odd and unnerving, but he'd grown to accept and enjoy it. He'd had little contact with humans besides Miaka, Cain, and his subordinates, who had to officially respect him   
anyway. He'd forgotten what it was like to be around people like Akane. Yet it wasn't so long ago when he'd been surrounded by them. 

Agile was built in what was once Japan, in a modest factory. He was built as an experimental ninja-type Reploid. His very existence was illegal, as he was made for fighting, so the Suri corporation who owned him designated him a construction unit. That way, his speed and super strength could be explained away somewhat. He was forced to do hard labor that would break a human, but he managed to handle it. His twin unit, a female named Kakumei, was not so lucky. She was kept with Suri. Then at night, the secret missions started. He was used as a spy at first, with his sister as his protection. He could handle those missions- they were a break from work. Although spending time with Kakumei was strange and awkward... she loved him with fierce devotion even though they hardly saw each other. 

Easy missions did not last long, however. He was ordered to assassinate the head of a rival company by his Master, Hideaki Suri. He refused, which Suri did not take kindly. 

Agile was working outside, as was usual for his daylight hours. He was bored out of his mind and tired of being illusioned as a robot. His slender build did not lend itself to construction design. Kakumei was strangely present, standing off to the side, watching him. A group of normal construction bots headed his way, intending him harm. Kakumei tried to interpose herself and protect him, but they beat her down and restrained her. They took her, injuring Agile as they left. Suri refused to heal his wound or disclose what he had done to Kakumei. He ordered him to carry out the assassination, but Agile still refused. 

Suri was decidedly unhappy. 

They took him back to the lab where Agile and Kakumei had been built, where she was still being held prisoner. They strapped Agile down and forced him to watch as they tortured Kakumei. They dismembered her, at which point Agile surrendered. Suri still insisted that Agile be punished. Kakumei was repaired and reconstituted rather quickly, then given back to Suri. He held her, petting her like a cat as he casually ordered his subordinates to rip out Agile's eyes. 

He shivered now as he remembered it. The dead, glazed look in her eyes was the last thing he'd seen before being blinded... it was the most excruciating pain he had ever felt in his life. He tried not to think of it, of any of his past. He blocked it all out for the most part. It was easier to forget all of that... than to relive it... 

They replaced his eyes with high powered scanners behind red glass, without the benefits of eyelids. Never again would Agile see color, or any images beyond a simple wireframe. His sensors were far more powerful than his eyes ever were, but he would give anything to have them back. He couldn't even remember what color his sister's eyes were... couldn't remember hardly what color was. If he could see normally, he wouldn't recognize his friends. And no one could replace his optics. His parts were irreplaceable... Suri had made sure of that. 

After that incident, they ordered again. He lied to them and agreed. His mission was to deliver a message to the rival CEO, one which was for his eyes only. Then, when they were alone, he was to plant a bomb and leave. He did go, but only for show. Within an hour, every member of the Suri corporation was dead, killed   
in a "freak gas explosion" according to the media. Of course, the bodies were burned so badly that no one could see how they truly died. 

It was kind of weird how so many of them were eyeless, though. Eyeless and dismembered. He had been lost then... Lost in red fury. He had snapped, gone completely mad and killed every last person in that building as viciously as he could. His soul could take no more pain and subjugation. He'd gone past the point of caring what happened because of his actions. He felt no pain anymore... just rage. Rage, murderous fury... if Zero knew what he had done, what he was capable of... he would have no choice but to kill him. How ironic that the Reploid with the most blood on his hands should be a Maverick Hunter. 

Agile waited, perched on a ledge just out of sight. He didn't speak until Miaka walked by. 

"Hey." 

Miaka looked up. "Oh, hi Agile. What's up?" 

He offered her a hand and pulled her up to sit with him. "I wanted to talk to you." 

She sounded hesitant. "About yesterday." 

"Well... yes." 

She looked uncomfortable. "I... well... I'm sure everyone knows by now," she said dejectedly. 

"Most likely... But I don't understand. Why do you care so much?" 

"Why do you keep asking?" 

"Miaka, all of my life I've been treated like Akane treated us, and much worse. I'm used to the human superiority complex. What I'm not used to is a human who would defend us against physical harm. Even my subordinates let me take hits rather than take it themselves. I'm sure most wouldn't mind taking me down. In fact, i know most of them would kill me if they had the chance. You have an innocent viewpoint. You don't know... you don't know how much they hate us. And you only know a bit of how much we hate them." 

"You... hate humans?"   
  
"I would not shed a tear if the lot of you were slaughtered en masse," he answered immediately. "Not that I can cry, but that's beside the point." 

"Then why do you fight?" 

"Because I don't have a choice. They own me. It's either fight or be killed for me."   
  
"For you?" 

"Just because of my abilities," he said. "I'm the fastest they have. I'm not the strongest, but I'm sure I'm close." 

"I'm sorry," Miaka said quietly. "Do you hate all humans?" 

"No... I don't hate you." 

"Well, that's good." She looked down. "I don't hate you all, despite what happened to me. I understand why you're so bitter, and I want to help you... although I don't know what I can possibly do." 

"You can obviously heal us," Agile said. "And hurt us." 

"Yeah... I hated to show what I could do... all my life I've been taught to keep my abilities hidden... but I was worried about you." 

"Why? He was no threat to me. I was certain he'd killed you." 

"Is that why you went crazy?" 

He turned his head. "Wouldn't you do the same if you were me? Wouldn't you lash out at someone who would wantonly strike down the only human worth protecting?" 

"I doubt I'm the only one..." she said nervously. 

"In my opinion you are," he said. "And it's only because of you that I can stomach this job." 

"Well... I'm glad to be of help." A pause. "Otherwise you'd go Maverick?" 

"Yeah." He smiled sadly. If she only knew. "At the least I'd be free." 

She touched his hand. It was a light touch, yet it surprised him. He wasn't used to such gentleness. "If there's any way I can set you free, I promise I will. But you have to promise me something too." 

"What?" 

"Promise you'll never go Maverick as long as I live," she said, her voice wavering a bit. "I don 't want to see you hunted down and murdered." 

"I promise," he said, unsure of what was happening. "But I still hate them. You would too, if you'd been through what I have." 

"And what's that?" 

He froze, leaning over to scan down the hall. Akane and Cain were coming. "This is not the place to have this conversation. You mind?" he asked. 

"Uh... no?" 

He picked her up and crouched. "I suggest you close your eyes. They might dry out."   
  
Trusting him, she turned her face toward his chestplate. She felt herself suddenly moving very fast. Seconds later, Agile stopped and set her down. 

"Are you all right?" he asked. 

"Fine. That was cool." 

He grinned. "Yes, I'd miss that if I couldn't do it." 

"What do you mean, if you couldn't do it?" 

"Not now," he said evasively. Another Reploid walked by. 

"Well... I did have one request." 

"What's that?" 

"I wanted to join you guys." 

Agile stopped cold. "WHAT?" 

Miaka winced. "You don't have to shout, Agile." 

He turned on her, looking down with smoldering eyes. "Are you crazy? Were you not listening at all?" 

"Of course I was! I only want to help you." 

"If you want to help me, then don't become another killer of my people!" 

"You didn't seem to object when I used my power to stop that bear." 

"I didn't realize you did it. And besides, you deserved that one. He tried to kill you. But I won't let you hunt and kill innocents." 

"How can you say that? That's what YOU do!" 

"Yes I do. But I am by no means innocent. My hands are far too stained with blood already for it to matter anymore. You alone are guiltless in this war, and I intend to protect that innocence. No matter what." 

"It's not your decision anyway," she retorted. "I can just ask Dr. Cain." 

Agile crossed his arms, and icy feeling rising in his chest.. "That was cold, Miaka." 

"You're the one who's trying to make my decisions for me. You aren't my father, you know." 

"No, but I would be your commander. And I refuse to allow you into the Hunters." 

Miaka glared. "Don't you understand? It's none of your business what I want to do with my life. You should be happy I'm willing to help you!" 

"You don't understand the implications of what you're asking. You seem to be under the impression that you have a choice in whether to kill or not. You don't- it's you or them. And I don't want you in that position, because I'm not sure you'd be able to kill. You'd be hurt or killed, like every other human Hunter. There's not a one of them that doesn't have a cybernetic body part somewhere. So not only do I want to protect your innocence, I want to protect your life." 

"And I'm saying that's all well and good, but you can't shelter me forever. I'm not stupid, Agile, and I'm not a child. I have the ability to help and I will. Period." 

"I'll stop you." 

"I'll fight your influence," she answered. She brushed past him and walked toward the hall Akane and Cain had been heading. 

Agile watched her go, his robotic heart feeling heavy. He had been about to trust her with his deepest secrets... and she cut him down. She would never be able to understand him... it was just as well though, she would have turned on him if she knew the truth. It was better this way... but he was totally unprepared for how much it hurt. He turned on his heel and stomped off, resolved to vent his frustration in the training hall.   
  
Zero was not happy with her request, either, but he put up less resistance. In the end, his answer was something akin to "It's your funeral." She supposed it was better than nothing. He told her to meet with him the next day to fill out all the application paperwork and to get her some armor. She asked him to try to talk to Agile. He agreed, but with no promises. 

He was met with a locked door and no response. After the training hall, Agile had locked himself in there and refused to speak to anyone. Knowing he could do nothing, he shrugged it off and returned to his quarters. 

Agile did not pass out that night. As he charged, he could only think of her painful words. It seemed to resist fading away, each recollection stinging as if it were a fresh wound. he had no idea why he continued worrying about it or why it hurt so much. She was just a human... wasn't she? 

Miaka did not sleep well either. Of all the people she knew, she never expected Agile to try to control her. She trusted him... she thought she could be herself and be accepted with these people. She thought she didn't have to conform to an ideal... like she always had with her mother. Her mother... Miaka was so tired of never being good enough, of having her life planned out for her. Her mother had already selected the man she was to marry, for God's sake. Miaka could stand him, at the least, but the thought of being close with him made her want to run as far as she could. She'd thought... she'd thought she was close to Agile... but how could he try to control her? How could he? Had she been wrong about him? Did he feel about her the way she felt about him? 

And.. how did she feel about him anyway?   


The next day, Miaka showed up bright and early. Zero, Protoman, and X were already there. Zero was addressing Protoman. 

"Well, we're supposed to teach you how to fight like a Reploid," he said. "What's your weapon?" 

"An arm cannon," Protoman answered. 

"Oh..." Zero said, disappointed. "Um, then you should talk to Pai. I prefer sabers. Arm cannons are for wusses." 

"Hey!" X protested, pushing Zero. 

"What are you complaining about, you don't use yours." Zero pushed back. 

"Oh yeah." He paused a second. "Oh, what the hell," he said with a shrug, and began flailing at Zero, who laughed. 

"Morning, Protoman," Miaka said. "Don't worry, they do this a lot." 

"Oh... well, they were supposed to be mortal enemies anyway." 

"How do you know all this?" she asked. 

"They were being built back in my day." He paused. "You know, I was thinking the other day that I need a new name." 

"Why?" 

"Well, because 'Protoman' died a hundred years ago," he said. "That was a prolonged and pretty lonely existence. I was hoping I could start over here. You have any suggestions?" 

"Um... Key?" she said, thinking of Key the Metal Idol. 

"Hmm... well, I am the key to their pasts, if they'll ever bother to ask. OK, Key it is. Thanks, Miaka." 

"Anytime, Key." 

Zero and X concluded their silliness and turned back to Key and Miaka. "Anyway," Zero was saying, "we ought to go through this. Here, go ahead and fill this out as quickly as possible. I want to get Miaka down to the Robot Depot so we can get her some armor." 

"You just want to see me naked," she teased. 

"Doesn't work if you aren't equipped." 

"Sounds like a personal problem to me." 

"Screw you too." 

"Haven't we already been over this?" 

"I hate you Miaka." 

"I hate you too Zero." 

Key snickered. Maybe this new life would be fun after all. 

Miaka finished as quickly as possible, and the four of them were off. When they arrived, they found a brooding Agile leaning against the door. 

"Took you long enough," he said. "Miaka, if you'd come with me...?" She followed, a little confused. He led her to a small room, with X, Zero, and Key in two. Miaka froze at the threshold, but it was no effort for Zero see over her head. X and Key, 5'8" and 5'2" respectively, had problems. Hanging on the wall was a magnificent set of white and lavendar armor. The helmet was crested with a circlet of gold bearing a triangular red jewel. The chest plate was lavendar, trimmed with gold, with wings painted across the breasts. The boots and bracers were streamlined rather than large and unwieldy, like Reploid boots. The most impressive aspect of the armor were the large silver wings hanging to the sides. It looked like they had a wingspan of at least ten feet. Each metallic feather looked razor-sharp. 

"Agile... this is beautiful," she finally managed to say. 

"I had it made for you last night," he said. 

"But why? I thought you didn't want me to be a Hunter." 

"You were right, Miaka. I can't stop you and it is your life. So I decided that if you're going to risk your life, I'd make damn sure you were protected." 

"Thank you, Agile," she said quietly. 

He rested a hand on her shoulder, causing Zero and X to exchange a surprised look. "You're welcome... Red Angel."   


_"Do not hesitate when you believe in yourself for surely your winds shall come"_   
_-"For Your Winds Shall Blow", Rockman Dash_


End file.
